Parker’s first disappointment
by spookie nights
Summary: Parker was a curious child and she had always answered his question with full honesty. Her approval had come to mean a lot to his son. For someone who vehemently disregarded her maternal instinct, she was now talking about Parker as if he was her own.


_Disclaimer:_ Bones and all the characters therein are owned by FOX, Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs.

"I worked really hard on that essay Daddy. I wrote it on my own and turned it in on time. Why didn't I win the competition Daddy?" Parker sobbed clinging to his father. Booth shared a helpless look with Brennan and wondered how he could make a six year old understand about life, competitions and disappointments.

It was Friday and Rebecca had dropped off Parker at Booth's place a few hours earlier. Parker had been upset since he returned from school and Rebecca thought that it would do their son some good if he shared his grief with his father. There was an essay competition in his school and the kids were told to write an essay on a topic of their choice. The only rule was that they had to do all the work. Parker had worked on his essay for over a week. He was an honest boy who had done all the research and writing on his own without any outside help as mentioned by his teachers; not even from his parents. His parents had respected the boy's wishes and allowed him with his indulgence. Now that he was disappointed, Booth didn't know how to answer his son's question.

"Come here kiddo." Brennan opened her arms for the little boy who went to her sobbing. Booth was mildly surprised at her behavior. For someone who vehemently disregarded the fact that she wasn't good with children, her instincts with them were pretty natural.

"Bones, do you know why I didn't win the competition?" She had to explain this little boy, subjective analysis done by the judges on every essay written by six year olds and declare couple of them to be the best of all. She had always hated this perception based marking and judging system. She had read once a paper in which Einstein's _'Theory of Relativity'_ was explained in words which had four letters or less. Her current situation demanded something as drastic as that.

"What was your essay about Parker? What did you write about?"

"I wrote about Daddy's office Bones. My essay was about F.B.I." She was surprised. For a six year old, the boy was very sharp and perceptive. She could see Booth's smile, full of pride for his son.

"Sarah from school told me that she was writing about a hospital since her Mommy is a Doctor, so I wrote about Daddy's office. Was the wrong Bones?" By now Parker's sobbing had reduced to a sniff here and there and he had settled himself comfortably on her lap. Booth could only look on.

"No. No. It wasn't wrong at all Parker. I think it's the best topic for an essay." She could see Parker was happy with her retort.

"You really think so Bones?" His eyes were drooping when wanted to reconfirm it with her.

"Yes. I really think so Parker. Lets get you to bed Parker; we will talk about this tomorrow OK?" She could see that he was falling asleep on her lap after exhausting himself by crying.

After settling Parker in his bed, Booth and Brennan retired on his couch with a glass of wine.

--o00o--

"You know Bones, when a kid especially one who is as young as Parker becomes depressed after losing a competition, it would mean that the kid has invested a lot on winning. Parker isn't upset that he has not won; he is upset because he doesn't understand why he has not won."

"Aren't they the same Booth?"

"They are not the same. If he cried that he hadn't won, then I would have been more worried. Because if winning is all if he cared about, then there is a possibility that he could take any means in future to achieve that. It's not certain that he would cheat or would try to change the rules of the game but it's a possibility."

"He is a good boy Booth. You have taught him about honesty. It would be hard to explain it to him that not all the kids would be as honest in their essays as him. They would have help from external sources when those kids wrote their essays. He is too young to harbor distrust for his friends."

"I know Bones. Parents generally tend to ensure that their kids are best and I don't blame them. When I see Parker playing Baseball, I feel the same. For adults, competing is equivalent to surviving and we unconsciously start apply in our parenting as well. But for kids, competitions have to be a learning experience, something fun."

She understood what he was talking about. Since her childhood, her competitive side was always encouraged. Her parents weren't too disappointed when she lost something, but they were extremely happy when she won something. But thankfully her parents had never encouraged her to take any easy road during her school days. She had worked very hard and enjoyed the results of her hard work. But she could see Booth's point about child behavior.

"We still cannot explain to Parker about why his essay wasn't chosen. Our education system is subjective and judgmental based on a preconceived notion on things. For example, Parker, a six year old is expected to write an essay about a pet or how he spent summer or about family; topic that is perceived to be easy and very well understood by a kid. But he takes a different topic, something out of the norm. People always have difficulty in accepting something that is out of norm."

He knew that she was speaking this from her experience. She prioritized her work over her personal life. How many people did that these days? It wasn't as if she was working for her own financial or personal gain. Most people forgot about the work she has done over the years and yet not once had she complained about recognition. She was unique in her own way. Maybe that's why she and Parker had hit it off. Parker was a curious child and she always answered his question with full honesty. Her approval had come to mean a lot to his son. He was happy that she had induced herself into his life unknowingly and here she was talking about his son as if Parker was her own.

"Parker has his first experience with disappointment Bones, whatever maybe the cause of it. If not this essay, then something would have come up eventually and we would still be in the same predicament."

"What do you want to do? I am clueless about these things."

"Let's take him out tomorrow; aquarium or planetarium. He would enjoy that."

"That's all?"

"By end of the day, gently break it to him that its not important to win, but to enjoy whatever you are doing and have fun in the process. What do you think? Will that satisfy him?"

"This is not something you tell a kid in few words which would make him understand. Over the years, this experience becomes more often than it is now and he will learn to cope with it; like all of us do. But for now, I sincerely hope that he would be at least satisfied by your reasoning Booth."

"Me too Bones, me too."

--o00o--

She looked at the clock when she heard insisting knocking on her door. It was quite late when had returned from Booth's place and they had agreed to meet at his place again the next morning for breakfast. She was surprised to find fully dressed Booth and sleeping Parker at her door at 6 AM on a Saturday.

"Is everything alright?" She asked Booth as he shifted Parker to her arms.

"I got a call an hour ago regarding an old case. I need to go to office soon and perhaps will be in office till evening. Can you take care of Parker for me till then?"

"Of course I will. But he will be disappointed Booth. He looks forward for his weekends with you." She gently scolded him. She knew it wasn't his fault but she was saddened for the little boy who loved his daddy.

"I know Bones, I know. I really need to rush. Call me if you need anything OK?" He was thankful that he had a friend whom he could trust to be there for him in dire situations. He would do the same of her, of course.

"Try to get out of office early Booth." He nodded. She could see dilemma in his eyes which was soon replaced with disappointment.

--o00o--

"Where are we going Bones? Are we there yet?" Initially Parker was disappointed that his daddy had to work. But had immediately perked up when she had told him that she had a surprise planned for him.

"We are going to the harbor to feed the ducks and we are here." She tickled when she answered him. His giggles gave her a thrill of accomplishment. She had decided to take cab instead of driving; that way she could concentrate on Parker all the time.

At harbor, he asked her every question he could think of about ducks. She answered with patience that Booth definitely didn't know that she possessed. With Parker, she was always at calm; he wasn't 

surprised that she didn't know certain things. There was simple acceptance of her and she liked that in him immensely. They fed bread to little ducklings and she took Parker's pictures on her cell phone. There was nothing complicated in the day that she was spending with him. She hoped it would be this way for a very long time.

"Bones, why do baby ducks always be near mommy duck?"

"Because there are lots of bad animals in water which might harm baby ducks. So mommy duck makes sure that the little ducks are always near her. When you go to a mall, doesn't your mommy or daddy tell you to hold their hands? It's the same thing with ducks too kiddo. Mommy duck will feel sad if something happens to her baby duck." She smiled when Parker unconsciously held her hand throughout the time they walked in the harbor. She was really impressed with his smartness.

"Let's have lunch Parker. Do you have some place in mind?" Booth had told her once that when kids were allowed to make an important decision, like a place to eat, they would be more tolerable during the meal.

"Let's go to McDonalds Bones. Please?" He still hadn't let go of her hands and was chatting amicably when she was hailing for a taxi.

Lunch, as expected was peaceful and without any incidents. She was surprised that Parker hadn't asked about Booth much. Parker's eyes were full of questions when she asked the guy behind counter for a bag. She was aware of Parker's attention on her when she was packing uneaten fries and untouched salad; maybe she could give him something to think about. But she waited for the question to come.

"Why are you packing the leftover Bones? We can throw it in the thrash over there." He pointed to the near by thrash can. She kneeled down to his level and ran a hand in his hair.

"You know Parker, you are a very lucky kid. There are so many little boys and girls in this world who don't have enough to eat."

"Wont their mommy and daddy give them food Bones?"

"You see Parker they don't have mommy or daddy. They don't have any money to buy food either."

"That's so sad Bones. What do they do then?" She decided that she didn't want the little boy to know about deaths of people in Africa because of starvation. She wanted him to be aware that there are kids, people around us who have to struggle for basic necessities. Awareness is just the first step.

"Well, they sometimes manage to eat and sometimes they don't." She left interpretation of her words to Parker.

"I wont waste food next time Bones."

"That's my boy." She kissed him on his cheek, took his hand and went to pay the bill at the counter. An elderly gentleman remarked. "You are a very good mother to the boy, ma'am; not forcing him to finish his meal but telling him about social repercussions. He is a very lucky kid."

Because of the dynamics that she shared with Parker, people always mistook her for his mother. She corrected them saying that she was babysitting him or that he was her partner's son; but today she smiled at the elderly man and let it slide. She felt happy and with Parker, everything came naturally.

"Where are we going next Bones?" She was surprised that he was not yet tired.

"We are going to Natural History museum to see Dinosaurs. It is only a couple of minutes walk from here. Do you want a piggy back ride?" He shook his head declining her offer. She knew he would be excited about it as she had heard Booth mentioning it to her in passing. She left a voice mail to Booth about them.

To say Parker was excited was an understatement. He could barely control himself when they entered the museum. He was surprised that lot of people knew Bones.

"I work in this building kiddo, that's why a lot of people know my name. They know your daddy too, you know."

"Really? Do you get to see Dinosaurs all the time? You are so lucky Bones." She had to laugh at his reasoning. Before going to paleontology section, they looked at other exhibits in the ground floor. She could see that Parker was getting tired and this time he took up her offer to carry him.

"Bones, I wish daddy was here." He was looking at families around him. She felt sorry for the little boy who shuffled between his father's and his mother's house.

"I wish your daddy was here too kiddo."

Parker was speechless when he saw Dinosaurs fossils. After a minute, he launched his questions on her and expected a detail answer in return. She was amused by his enthusiasm and explained everything she could translate in a language that a six year old could understand. She was explaining Parker, who had settled on her hip, about an herbivore Dinosaur when she felt an arm on her shoulder. Booth had managed to get away from his office earlier than expected and had decided to join their little trip. She transferred Parker to him and continued explaining as if she was never interrupted.

"Bones, you said these animals used to be friends before. Why did they start fighting? Daddy tells me not to fight with friends." She saw an opening in this question. She looked at Booth and nodded. He had seen it too.

"What do you think the reason might be Park?" Booth asked his son.

"I don't know daddy."

"Have you seen any of your friends fighting with each other at school?" She asked.

"During recess, they fight for their turn at swings."

"It is something similar here too kiddo. Both animals wanted the same thing at the same time. So they started fighting for it. They used to be friends before because they didn't need to fight for the same thing. There was plenty of that around."

"Why couldn't they share?" Parker asked. Booth and Brennan were stumped. She found that she couldn't explain it to him that there are some things, like survival was based on eliminating others and not by self survival.

"It's like your essay competition Park. Out of thirty five entries there were only three winners. We cannot have all thirty five kids in three spots now, can we?" He left the decision to his son.

"I guess so daddy."

"But you know what is important kiddo? When you wrote that essay, you learnt about F.B.I, you learnt how to do research without any help and you had fun when you did all this; that's more important than you winning the competition." She kissed the boy's cheek.

"I am so proud of you Park, that you wrote your first essay all by yourself." He ruffled his son's hair. Parker laughed merrily, got down from his father's arms and ran towards the next exhibit.

He could see that his son was very happy at that moment. He was lucky to have a son like Parker.

"It's only beginning Booth. There will be more of this in future; from Baseball tryouts to first date disaster; from unfairness in the system to his first kiss." She linked her arm with his and started walking towards Parker.

"When that happens, we will be there for him Bones as long as he needs us; together, as partners."

--o00o--


End file.
